Withum is proud to share that Robert Fried, Partner and co-founder of the Firm’s Theatre and Entertainment Industry Services Team, was awarded a Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre, celebrating his lifelong contributions to Broadway.
Robert’s career spans over 30 years, in which he has served as an accountant, tax consultant and advisor to countless shows. He and his partner Karen Kowgios started their own firm in 2002, where they built a reputation of trust and excellence, providing the highest caliber of technical and personal service to clients in the theatre industry. In 2016, they joined forces with Withum, expanding the Firm’s presence in New York City and furthering their mission to bring exceptional tax, accounting, audit and advisory services to commercial theatre, putting productions in a position of strength and giving them the tools to succeed financially.
As a lifelong musical theatre fan, Robert completed the ultimate goal of doing what you love. He started from the ground up in the musical theatre industry, going from tabulating the Tony Awards to representing most New York City-based commercial productions to now managing international productions as a cross-border planning specialist, helping shows travel the world and spread the joy of live theatre. He also works as an adjunct professor in Colombia University’s MFA program for theatrical accounting and developed an exchange program, marrying his knowledge of US/UK theatre production and teaching it to the next generation.
When COVID-19 resulted in unprecedented federal grants and state tax credit opportunities for productions, producers, managers and theaters, Robert served as a thought leader and helped countless members of the industry understand the implications and possibilities of the new laws. He worked with those in the industry directly, tirelessly, to keep them operating and able to restart once it became safe to do so. No stranger to the federal tax laws that impact theatre, Robert served with the Broadway League Government Relations Committee, fighting for new and fairer tax laws for the commercial theatre industry, going so far as to help draft federal legislation and legislation for the NYC Theatrical Tax Credit. Producers, accountants, owners, and journalists know that Robert will always be there to help educate in times of change and fight for all aspects of the theater community.
I couldn’t be more humbled by this honor to share such an important night with Broadway’s finest. The Tony Awards give us an opportunity to come together as an industry to celebrate the productions, producers, and performers that work tirelessly to always make sure that the show must go on. My heartfelt congratulations go out to all the winners, nominees, and my fellow honorees, Lisa Dawn Cave and Victoria Bailey.
Robert Fried, Partner
Withum has represented numerous Broadway productions as the accountant of choice, which, like Robert, have received the attention of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing as part of the annual Tony Awards. Read the complete list of the 2023 Tony Award winners and nominees.
